Factory Control and Intelligent Automation Senior Engineer

About our group:

Equipment Engineering is the backbone of Seagate’s wafer manufacturing excellence. Our team ensures every piece of tooling on the factory floor operates at peak performance to fabricate the Magnetic Recording Heads that power Seagate’s world-class HDDs.

We combine proven equipment‑control strategies with cutting-edge KPIV streamline systems to monitor equipment health in real time and take proactive, automated actions.

Join us and be part of Seagate’s Wafer AI 2.0 vision: scaling AI to revolutionize wafer operations. Work on high-impact projects with measurable ROI—Seagate’s AI initiatives have already saved millions. Collaborate with global experts in AI, engineering, and operations. Enjoy a dynamic, inclusive culture that values innovation, agility, and continuous learning.

About the role - you will:

• Work as a Factory Control and Intelligent Automation Engineer, together with Equipment Engineering in Seagate’s advanced wafer manufacturing team, where you’ll be at the forefront of smart factory transformation.
• Thrive in this role if you are passionate about automation, robotics, and next‑generation smart factory systems
• Lead efforts to build intelligent control systems, integrate sensor technologies, and translating innovative AI capabilities into robust, scalable controls systems that redefine operational excellence.
• Lead development and integration of intelligent control systems within production equipment and fab support systems.
• Deploy sensors, edge devices, and AI powered monitoring logic to enhance real time equipment health awareness.
• Build and maintain lightweight AI agents for anomaly detection, sensor validation, data conditioning, and automated interlocks.
• Collaborate with Equipment, Process, Yield, and Data Engineering teams to identify high‑value opportunities for automation and AI adoption.
• Support digitalization and hardware retrofit initiatives to enable data capture and closed‑loop automation on legacy tools.
• Drive structured root cause investigations combining hardware expertise, data analytics, and AI generated insights.
• Ensure solutions are robust, safe, maintainable, and aligned with factory control standards and change control procedures.

About you:

• Proficiency in Python, ML frameworks (e.g., MLflow, KServe), and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Excellent engineering, problem-solving, communication, and project management skills.
• Strong written and verbal skills; ability to persuade and gain agreement with cross-functional teams.
• Passion for transforming traditional manufacturing through intelligent systems and data-driven insights.
• Interest or experience in tool automation or robotics is a plus.

Your experience includes:

• Deep understanding on semiconductor equipment hardware & controls and how their KPIV/KPOV signals reflect tool health and process stability.
• Experience in integrating sensors or edge modules into production tools.
• Experience using Python, Bash, or PowerShell for data modeling and automated control actions.
• Experience applying lightweight ML techniques—such as rule-based intelligence, or simple classifiers—to improve equipment reliability and automated decision logic.
• Demonstrated commitment to staying current with new AI techniques, sensor technologies, and intelligent automation trends—and applying them meaningfully in a fab environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering related field (i.e. Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Computer Engineering, Materials, Physics, or Information Technology) and 5+ years of experience or master’s degree in the same and 3+ years’ experience or PhD and 0+ years’ experience or equivalent experience and education.

You might also have:  

• Familiarity with using cameras for alignment, endpoint monitoring, wear detection, or component verification, using practical OpenCV or edge inference workflows.
• Exposure to deploy logic or models on industrial gateways, microcontrollers, or platforms like Jetson/Raspberry Pi for real-time hardware interaction.
• Background in adding sensors, upgrading interlocks, or modernizing legacy modules to support AI driven monitoring, data collection, or automated control actions.
• Ability to package, version, and maintain small AI agents or decision scripts, ensuring safe deployment with clear rollback and fail‑safe mechanisms.
• Working knowledge of SPC, DOE, DMAIC, or 8D to drive data‑backed equipment improvements that complement AI‑generated insights.

Location:

Our Normandale campus spans two suburbs, Edina and Bloomington, MN and serves as the Recording Head development and manufacturing arm of Seagate. Located in the heart of a bustling community, Seagate offers an on-site café, or if you prefer, you can drive to one of many restaurants just minutes away. Need to grab a gift over lunch time? Shopping is abundant in the area. If working out is your thing, the on-site fully equipped fitness center hosts wellness programs, outdoor activities, tournaments and group workouts. Looking for something more laid back? Reset in one of our meditations rooms or simply take a walk around our indoor walking path. On-site cultural festivals, celebrations and community volunteer opportunities also abound.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $92,310.00 - $131,994.72. The individual salary is based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Seagate offers comprehensive benefits to its eligible employees, including, but not limited to, , eligibility to participate in discretionary bonus program, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, short-and long-term disability, 401(k), employee stock purchase plan, health savings account, dependent care, and healthcare spending accounts. Seagate also offers paid time off, including 12 holidays, flexible time off provided pursuant to Seagate policy, a minimum of 48 hours of paid sick leave, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave. The benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year and may differ depending on work location.

Location: Normandale, United States
Travel: Up to 10%